Method and apparatus for locally implementing port selection via synchronized port state databases maintained by the forwarding plane of a network element

A network element comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor;
• a communications interface;
• an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor and the communications interface;
• and
• wherein the memory is encoded with an application providing port selection via synchronized port state databases maintained by the forwarding plane of a network element, that when performed on the processor, provides a process for processing information, the process causing the network element to perform the operations of:
• maintaining, by each Forwarding Data Unit (FDU) within the forwarding plane of the network element, a respective port state database, each port state database containing a synchronized view of the port state for all ports within the network element;
• and
• independently performing, by each port state database upon request of its associated FDU, a port selection processes to identify an available port in an UP state associated with a Multi-Link Trunk (MLT) to enable fast reroute between ports associated with the MLT in the event of port failure, and return an identified port to the FDU for use by the FDU to forward the packet.